Chapter 15: With Uncertain Ends

[Jeff]

"I saw no masked woman," the fiend's skull says, answering Belarin's second question, though he knows it doesn't need to be truthful.

"It is true that this spell works better on those who are not foes," Histra whispers to him, admitting a limitation of such magic.

Nearby, he hears the repeated thwacking of something, but he knows it's one of his companions doing...something. It's only mildly distracting.

It takes a few hard blows of Syndra to crack the bone dice and break them down enough that become unrecognizable as dice, or even to properly read the Abyssal characters. As he works at it, Syndra speaks to him. That was not enough. I will burn as I please, and find another warrior who is not craven. Adamant is quite certain she's referring to his all-too-brief use of her against the nycaloth. Give me to the bearded man. He may dare as you do not.

[Ken]

"No, I know," admits Belarin to Histra. "I figured it would do no harm to try."

To the skull, he asks his third question, "What information do you possess about the Eye of Azalar?"

[Dave W.]

Jul 12, 2018 15:08:56 GMT -4 Jeff said:

As he works at it, Syndra speaks to him. That was not enough. I will burn as I please, and find another warrior who is not craven. Adamant is quite certain she's referring to his all-too-brief use of her against the nycaloth. Give me to the bearded man. He may dare as you do not.

NO! You will do as you are told. I am your master and you will be obedient. There are worse fates than not being satisfied with the amount of burning. You could be placed at the icy bottom of the deepest ocean as just one example.

[Jeff]

Jul 12, 2018 15:55:14 GMT -4 Ken said:

"What information do you possess about the Eye of Azalar?"

"Only hearsay," the spirit answers the third question. "I purposed to recover it, if it was as powerful as was said."

Jul 12, 2018 16:08:07 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

NO! You will do as you are told. I am your master and you will be obedient. There are worse fates than not being satisfied with the amount of burning. You could be placed at the icy bottom of the deepest ocean as just one example.

You are bound in metal yourself. You have not the claim you think. Deny me further and I will set your friends ablaze.

[Darren]

"Much has gone as we didn't expect," says Kal to Starg, watching his friends and idly scratching Tangat behind the ears. He sighs heavily. "This expedition cannot be allowed to fall apart. Not out of any particular loyalty to Larest, understand, but because we have a responsibility to find the Eye before anyone worse than us does." He looks to where Belarin speaks with the dead nycaloth. "Imagine if the Eye ended up in the hands of someone like Wylkes? I don't know what Larest wanted with the Eye, but I know that I wish it would never be found at all." Kal looks up at the minotaur next to him. "If wishes were fishes, beggars would eat, right?" A half smile crosses his face.

"Okay," he says, determination setting in. "We continue on. Will you follow me, now, as you once followed Larest? Say you will, and I will give all of myself to see us safely to the end of this journey." Kal extends a hand to Starg and waits for him to take it.

[Ken]

Belarin asks the fourth question. "Where is Branash ir'Serell?"

He whispers to Histra, "It's a long shot, but if Branash is as desperate as it seems, who knows whom he might ally with?"

[Dave B.]

Shorak assists loading the boat with the lighter boxes. After Thul rows it out to the dragonfly, he ambles over to the dead bugbears and carefully searches their bodies, in case their companions missed anything interesting.

[Brian]

Melethos takes up a position near the rest of the supplies, guarding them until the boat returns. As he stands there, he watches Adamant pound oddly shaped stones into dust with his weapon.

“Must be some strange, religious ceremony,” he mutters, then shrugs. He never understood priests or clerics well.

[Jeff]

Jul 12, 2018 22:59:41 GMT -4 Ken said:

Belarin asks the fourth question. "Where is Branash ir'Serell?"

"Devising a way to stuff every orifice of your body with the shits of a thousand plague-riddled trolls. One hopes." So the skull answers Belarin's fourth question.

Jul 12, 2018 22:23:02 GMT -4 Darren said:

"Okay," he says, determination setting in. "We continue on. Will you follow me, now, as you once followed Larest? Say you will, and I will give all of myself to see us safely to the end of this journey." Kal extends a hand to Starg and waits for him to take it.

Starg considers Kal's words. "I do not wish to arrest this quest now. I left my homeland with no purpose to return to it, and I walk now in the twilight of my years. If I can contribute to peace, or at least the continued existence, of this world, I will do so. Larest ir'Zathyran took many steps, some of which I did not approve, to get us here. I would see it through. I will follow you, Lord Kalarian."

The minotaur takes Kal's extended hand and bows his head.

Kal sees Sem looking back at them from the boat. The gnome gives a sad smile.

Thul and Shorak have loaded the rowboat fully and now cast off. Thul, Sem, and all the boxes. Thul takes the oars. When he reaches the Dragonfly, Brack climbs to the rope ladder and aids in hauling the boxes up. As he works, the shifter looks at the Karrn questioningly. "Did I really see you face off with a dragon turtle? Or have I been drinking too much?"

[Elvis]

Jul 13, 2018 9:35:44 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Jul 12, 2018 22:59:41 GMT -4 Ken said:

Thul and Shorak have loaded the rowboat fully and now cast off. Thul, Sem, and all the boxes. Thul takes the oars. When he reaches the Dragonfly, Brack climbs to the rope ladder and aids in hauling the boxes up. As he works, the shifter looks at the Karrn questioningly. "Did I really see you face off with a dragon turtle? Or have I been drinking too much?"

"Aye." he nods as he passes up the supplies, "Add that to the list."

On his approach to the boat, Thul watches the female.

[Ken]

"Well, you didn't really answer the question," admonishes Belarin, "but that's all right. You're angry. You are, after all, dead.

"One more question, nycaloth: What is your true name? I'd like to give you proper due."

[Jeff]

"Vzarro," the cold and hushed voice of the skull says, then moves no more.

Histra ponders. "Even that may not be a truth," she says. "But it does sound like a fiend's name."

Over at the Dragonfly, as Thul works to unload boxes, he looks for that woman's shape and sees no sign of her at all. Sem climbs up onto the deck and just seems to sag there for a while. Soon the boat is empty except for himself.

"I guess I'll get the full story from someone," Brack says.

[Ken]

Belarin slowly gets up. He says to Histra, "True. And he actually did provide some information. He knows that Branash hates me. Why would 'Vzarro' think that unless he's been in contact with him?"

He walks over to Adamant. "Thanks for sorting through that mess, Adamant. Find anything useful?"

[Dave W.]

Syndra says:

Jul 12, 2018 16:32:05 GMT -4 Jeff said:

You are bound in metal yourself. You have not the claim you think. Deny me further and I will set your friends ablaze.

Interesting. Perhaps it is time for me to investigate disenchanting the weapon. He replies and stows the hammer. I'm sure we will discuss this later.

Jul 13, 2018 13:04:29 GMT -4 Ken said:

[Belarin] walks over to Adamant. "Thanks for sorting through that mess, Adamant. Find anything useful?"

"Yes, mostly trash but there are more than a dozen platinum dragons. We will divide that when things settle a bit. And then there is this." Adamant picks up the wrapped prism and places it in the center of his large palm. Carefully he pulls the edges of the cloth so the item is presented in his palm on the cloth. "What do you make of this?"

[Elvis]

"Best you hear it from a story teller. Lots of them like the sound of their own voice." he nods his head back towards the beach.

Thul doesn't bother asking about the woman.

Once the cargo is loaded he sets off again.

The short trip between the boat and the shore is tranquil, and he savors the peace and quiet. His wounds are itching - especially his face. He will tend to that once they are on their way again.

[Darren]

Kal grins at Starg as he grasps the minotaur's hand, then reaches out with the other to slap the giant arm. It's like hitting a tree trunk and Kal tries not to wince at the pain that shoots up his forearm. "Excellent," he says as he releases Starg's hand. "The sooner we are on the Dragonfly and away from here, the better."

Kalarian walks towards where Belarin and Histra complete their ritual. "I hope you can do that again," he says, looking down at the now lifeless skull. "We need to speak to that vampire and maybe find out what has become of Marin. Speaking of which," Kal turns to Adamant, "don't forget to load the vampire's body onto the boat. We're not done with it, yet."

Kal peers back towards the village, then back out to the water. "Melethos, Shorak, establish yourselves along the road here while we are in transport. I don't want anyone else sneaking up on us. We still have known enemies back that way," he points in the direction of the distant inn. "Stay alert."

[Joe]

Streko looks around, checking to see if anything was missed. He will go over and inspect all the corpses lying about while the boat makes hits first run to and from the ship.

[Ken]

"Hmmm, that's a nice bauble," says Belarin as he examines the crystal that Adamant found. "Hold on to it, please, Adamant, until we're all safely onboard. I'll give it a closer look then."

After Kal walks over and asks about performing the ritual on the vampire's remain, Belarin nods. "Yes, I can do it again," he says. He shares a look with Histra. "I'm a little disturbed that I can do it so easily, but ... it's very interesting."

[Dave B.]

"Soon as I'm done here." Shorak calls to Kal, continuing to thouroughly search the dead bodies.

Started searching bodies in my previous post.

[Jeff]

Neither Shorak nor Streko find anything of value remaining on the bodies of the one and a half bugbear. Their companions have already taken their weapons, and they had no coins on them. Only a mass of blood and shredded flesh. Histra watches them as they search the bodies.

Kurra regards them and the slain vampire spawn's parts. She looks at Belarin unhappily. "Those go last, if you're really doing this. I'll send over some canvas." She frowns at him. "Will we be bringing mortal remains on board often?"

Histra says quietly only to Belarin, "Yes, possibly." Letting him say it.

Thul returns with the boat, ready for others to come.

Kurra points at the mysterious large crate that's been here since you first arrived on this beach. "We're leaving this alone, yes?"

We don't have to do this moment by moment. Is there anything anyone wishes to do before going over to the Dragonfly. Is the nycaloth's axe being left behind or no?

[Joe]

Streko approaches the axe and glares at it. "Would it be better to buy you here or take you with us? Have you been tainted by the evil of your previous owner and, if so, how? Too many questions, not enough answers." Streko grasps the haft and lifts it up, having seen Thul touch it and not disintegrate. "Although Olladra know I've been tempted to ask for such a thing from time to time. It's time to get past that particular way of thinking, though. Ugh, I could not wield this in battle even if I wanted to. It's as tall as I am. Gods, will this thing even fit into my haversack? It is oddly beautiful though. Still, it belonged to a demon."
________________________________________________________

What is the weight of the axe? If it is 20 pounds or less, Streko will take it and attempt to put it into the haversack. If it weighs more, he will ask aloud if anyone wants to take it with them before finding a place to bury it for some other (un)lucky traveler.

[Brian]

Melethos removes his cloak and wraps the demon's great axe in it. "We can keep this and try to sell it later. Maybe we can try to identify whatever spell is associated with it. I do not suggest anyone try using it, though."

He sets the axe in the boat, then helps Thul place the remaining crates in the boat. "What should we do about this crate?" he asks, pointing to the large wooden box that was on the beach when they arrived.

_________________________________

Joe and I posted at the same time. Joe, if you don't mind, Melethos will take charge of the axe.

[Joe]

Jul 14, 2018 12:01:50 GMT -4 Brian said:

Melethos removes his cloak and wraps the demon's great axe in it. "We can keep this and try to sell it later. Maybe we can try to identify whatever spell is associated with it. I do not suggest anyone try using it, though."

He sets the axe in the boat, then helps Thul place the remaining crates in the boat. "What should we do about this crate?" he asks, pointing to the large wooden box that was on the beach when they arrived.

Streko hands the weapon to his friend. "As pretty as it is, I could do nothing with it and it is in better hands with you than with anyone else, I believe."

He looks at the crate and shrugs. "With our luck, it contains some manner of being with a deep desire to eat us whole. Or it could be filled with wealth beyond our imaginings. If so, in either case, why would it remain abandoned here for anyone to plunder?"

[Dave W.]

Jul 13, 2018 23:57:37 GMT -4 Ken said:

"Hmmm, that's a nice bauble," says Belarin as he examines the crystal that Adamant found. "Hold on to it, please, Adamant, until we're all safely onboard. I'll give it a closer look then."

“Yes, Belarin.” Adamant carefully re-wraps the prism and stows it in his pack. “I have a favor to ask,” He addresses the warlock, “I want to be present when you ask you questions of the Oathbreaker. I will be quiet but he was a paladin once. If he wishes to confess, one of his own should be there. In any case, there may be something subtle said that would get lost if I’m not there.”

He will then help load the boat, guard the shore, wrap the vampire corpse and see that it gets on board the Dragoqnfly as each action becomes appropriate.

[Ken]

Jul 14, 2018 7:39:56 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Kurra regards them and the slain vampire spawn's parts. She looks at Belarin unhappily. "Those go last, if you're really doing this. I'll send over some canvas." She frowns at him. "Will we be bringing mortal remains on board often?"

"Not often," says Belarin. "Just on special occasions."

Jul 14, 2018 18:23:21 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

He addresses the warlock, “I want to be present when you ask you questions of the Oathbreaker. I will be quiet but he was a paladin once. If he wishes to confess, one of his own should be there. In any case, there may be something subtle said that would get lost if I’m not there.”

Belarin says, "Certainly, Adamant. That'd be fine." It's obvious that, in the aftermath of the battle, the warlock's usual humor has faded. There's been too much death tonight.

[Jeff]

After some uneventful but time-consuming back-and-forth between the shoreline and the Dragonfly, all of you have returned to the ship except Belarin, Histra, and Adamant (because the paladin had previously chosen to volunteer for corpse-carrying), who now stand with some rolls of canvas and the mortal remains of the Sentinel Marshal and a bugbear and a half. Before sending the canvas back, Kurra gave a disclaimer: "This is temporary until we figure out a more permanent solution to this. I don't want dead bodies anywhere in the hold or near the galley."

Histra quietly nodded. "There are ways to reduce the smell and the contagions of the dead."

To which Kurra responded: "One option is to float...whatever it is...in the dinghy behind the ship. But that just feels like trawling for new problems. But honestly, I'd rather you not make a habit of this at all. Brack will make the final call."

Now both humans and the warforged remain to figure out how to do this. Histra sighs. "I had hoped to experiment with the onyx, but events are complicated enough right now. I will make do with bones alone." She sets to work on a spell, working from material components in her satchel. Belarin sees that she's lost her wand, which must have fallen into the water when she'd fallen under the dragon turtle's breath, and the dock was broken. And she is already bereft of her staff, so she has no arcane focus on hand. This doesn't seem to bother her, however. She has always been somewhat stoic and always pragmatic.

The rest of you are all on the deck of the Dragonfly now. No sign of the woman you'd spotted from the shoreline.

Brack seems to have gotten a very brief version of what happened—including Larest's death—from Kurra. He is all business right now, helping his bosun carry her supplies below. He seems glad for the task, and doesn't have any judgement or any obvious opinion at all on his face.

Sem sits slumped on the inside of the gunwales. Starg has posted himself beside the gnome, but his focus is outward, watching for any dangers.

[Elvis]

Once the supplies have been stowed and the boat turns towards it's next destination, Thul heads back to his hammock.

The healing spells closed his wounds, but did nothing to clean the gore (his, the demon's and oathbound's). Thul spends his time cleaning it from his face and then his gear.

He eats and drinks just enough and then crashes. Leaving the others to debrief the captain and the others. 

[Brian]

"Allow me to help," Melethos says to Captain Brack, and he starts moving crates based on the captain's instructions. "While we are at this, let me tell you what I know."

As they stow the supplies, Melethos recounts what happened on the beach, including (in general terms only) their meeting with Adjalarr, the encounter with the dragon turtle (with more specifics here), and the "death" of the nycaloth. "We ran into some old enemies as well, in the village." Melethos then talks of their history with Lamara and Demise. "They could pose trouble later. Sem might know more about Demise and what happened to the professor."

[Dave W.]

Histra suggests ways to deal with carrying dead with them.

"Excuse me, but didn't you carry your grandfather's bones in a bag? Was it something like Streko's pack? I mean, as I understand it you put things in a different ummm... place... One like Dolurrh, not in our normal existence. Being dead they would be fine there, right?"

Jul 16, 2018 9:25:17 GMT -4 Jeff said:

[Histra] sets to work on a spell, working from material components in her satchel. Belarin sees that she's lost her wand, which must have fallen into the water when she'd fallen under the dragon turtle's breath, and the dock was broken. And she is already bereft of her staff, so she has no arcane focus on hand.

"Is there anything I can do to assist?" Adamant says, always eager to help. "You seem to be struggling a bit? Is it your injuries? I might be able to help some more."

---

I don't think Addy would figure out that she's missing her wand as a focus. By now he's figured out that Belarin's dagger is his, but I don't know that he's seen enough of her casting to get that.

[Darren]

Kal watches as the new items get stowed on the ship. "Captain," he says to Brack, "I must speak with you. Obviously, circumstances have changed a bit. I don't know the details of Larest's arrangement with you, but I would like for both of us to continue to honor it. This expedition is mine, now."